Archive for the ‘Recycling’ CategoryDoes the thought of giant garbage clumps in our oceans stress you out? “Garbage gyres” are made up of discarded plastics that are carried by currents and accumulate into huge patches (the one in the Pacific Ocean is estimated to be larger than the state of Texas–you can read more about gyres here.) A Swedish company called Electrolux has found a way to put these masses of plastic bits to use. Electrolux is producing vacuum cleaners made with plastic pieces collected from garbage gyres around the world. In fact, they produce five models, which each are made with plastic materials found in the garbage gyres of a different ocean. From an article on the Record Searchlight’s website: “The North Sea vacuum’s plastic — collected off the Swedish west coast — is a mixture of red, yellow, blue and white. The Indian Ocean model is made exclusively from the clear plastic water bottles that washed up on Thailand’s coast, not surprising, says Nord, given the region’s hot climate and large tourist industry. The Mediterranean Sea model resembles crumpled pieces of world globes, while the Pacific Ocean’s model is a more muted mixture with smaller plastic chunks. The Baltic Sea edition contains larger round pieces. Their collection was unique, said Nord. Electrolux invited island vacationers in that region to gather plastic for the collection.”
The vacuum cleaners aren’t going to be sold, but are instead meant to get attention for a very real and very large problem: we’re consuming and discarding plastics at an alarming rate, and need to start finding innovative ways of both decreasing our waste and putting it to use. What other ways have you seen garbage repurposed into something useful?
Oct
17
Welcome To The Blue House
Located on Steiger island, one of seven man-made islands located in the Amsterdam IJburg lakes, this beautiful, fascinating home boasts a deep blue facade and some pretty cool eco-friendly features. This building, a product of the visions of architect Peter Weijnen of Faro Architecten in the Netherlands, captures rainwater to use in its toilets and washing machine, large windows open up to the South to let in light and warmth, and the ventilation system is based upon old Arabian cooling towers!
The interior also features recycled materials, like the beams made from old wood bollards taken from nearby IJ Lake, and copper taken from an old church roof reused to make the suspended kitchen/living area ceiling. Faro Architecten has other, equally impressive sustainable projects you can see on their website (here’s the English version). You’ve never seen rubber inner tubes look so chic. Kathleen Nowak Tucci of “My Sister’s Art” creates unique, striking, elegant wearable works of art out of recycled rubber. Her sister, Margaret Nowak Dobos, promotes her work and represents it to clients from all over the world. From their website: “She makes all of the jewelry by hand, and her necklaces, earrings, and bracelets are crafted meticulously. For Kathleen, creating is a necessity, not an option. Her line of eco-art rubber jewelry is constantly expanding as her creativity knows no bounds.”
A Gulf Coast resident, My Sister’s Art’s jewelry was featured in an oil spill-themed spread in Italian Vogue in August 2010. Their line of jewelry includes necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.
Are you thinking about redecorating your child’s bedroom or play area, but worried about the cost of paint, carpet and new toys? Don’t worry about painting murals with toxic paints; there are more sustainable ways to create a world of imagination for your little one! Add new playhouses out of recycled cardboard boxes. While such creations can be purchased [$35 each from Way Basics], you can instead take this opportunity to have a craft day and spend some time with your children.
Things you’ll need: Instructions:
Sep
3
Konohana Family FarmCheck out this video about a sustainable community farm in Japan, the Konohana Family Farm. The “family” consists of 47 members and the farm is almost 100% self-sustained. They have farmed their land without chemicals or pesticides for over 13 years! They also exist on a completely vegetarian diet. From a Konohana Family Farm brochure: “Over 260 kinds of rice, grain, vegetables and so forth are grown on the fields of 13 hectares.
Aug
19
Sustainable Houses and HomesEver wonder what homes made out of reused/repurposed/recycled materials look like? . Take a look: Ever considered going off the grid? Building a small house with clay or and hay, powering it with renewable energy sources, growing your own food…this recent article from Salon is an interesting read about sustainable lifestyles off-the-grid in America. It’s also an interview with Nick Rosen, who wrote the book “Off The Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America”.
Aug
8
DIY Recycled Home DecorLooking for a little inspiration for spicing up your home? Take a look at Recyclart.org, which is a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration for creating your own recycled home decor items. It’s truly amazing how many forgotten items or things that our first impulse is to throw out can be made into unique, quirky, cute and beautiful decorations for the home.
DIY projects with recycled materials save money and energy, and, best of all, can be tailored exactly to the needs of your home and your vision.
Jul
21
The Power Is Yours!In light of recent events, we thought it would be appropriate to remind everyone of one of the world’s most awesome and long forgotten hero’s, Captain Planet. For those of you too young to remember this legend, he and his team of kick ass planeteers fought polluting villains all over the world. With all of their powers combined, these kids summoned Captain Planet in times of great peril, when their own personal efforts just could not withstand their enemies.  Captain Planet and The Planeteers Using their five elements; earth, wind, fire, water and heart, the Planeteers fought everything from narcissistic planet sapping scientists to warlike spirits whose only goals were to destroy Captain Planet and Mother Earth. Although many stories told through the animation were exaggerated by magnificent feats of nature, the underlying themes of greed, corruption, polluting and irresponsibility are still very prevalent today. Captain Planet tells a timeless message, we must always be aware of our actions. Unfortunately, our forgotten hero is only as real as our thoughts and dreams and cannot be summoned on a whim to clean up massive oil spills in seconds or prevent lazy people from throwing away recyclables. That power is ours. Do your part to help the planet, even if it’s as simple as washing out that empty yogurt container and tossing it in the recycling bin instead of the trash.
We’re all very thankful that BP’s leaky pipes have finally been patched up, but the aftermath left in its wake will leave lasting effects for years to come. There are still plenty of ways you can help the efforts going on in the gulf, check out our post a few weeks back on what you can do today: Help Clean Up For old times sake, here’s a little parting tune to get you in the mood… Link to Captain Planet Theme Song Curious about what the city recycling programs in our area look like? Here’s a quick peek at a few of the programs Central and Southeast Michigan have to offer! Ann Arbor: Recycle Ann Arbor From the website: “As a private nonprofit organization, Recycle Ann Arbor is dedicated to providing education and innovative services in the collection, processing and distribution of recyclable materials. Nationally recognized as an established leader in recycling programs, Recycle Ann Arbor has been instrumental in diverting recyclable waste from landfills and reducing pressure on natural resources.”
The origin of the state’s first curbside recycling service, Recycle Ann Arbor also operates the state’s largest community drop-off station, where batteries, compost, paper, and other recyclable items can be traded and processed. A fully-staffed facility open six days a week year-round, the Drop-off Station also holds special events, like free document-shredding sessions. (You can also purchase compost here!) Another one of Recycle Ann Arbor’s projects, The ReUse Center, accepts donations of household items, building materials, and office supplies for resale. The Environmental House Energy & Green Building Resource Center provides tours, information, and resources regarding green building and design. Detroit: The Detroit Recycling Program
The Detroit Recycling Program, begun last June, has clear goals for its program: “To encourage all Detroit residents to reduce, reuse and recycle Reduce – cut back on materials for disposal; buy products with less packaging; buy only what you need Reuse – Try to find other acceptable uses for leftover products and items Recycle – Recycle products or containers if you can”. The program includes curbside and dropoff recycling programs, through which it collects paper, cardboard, aluminum, glass, plastic, and even household batteries, light bulbs, and Styrofoam. The program’s website also offers extensive information for residents about legal dumping/disposal of solid wastes, building materials, and dead animals, as well as illegal dumping, corporate waste removal, and environmental enforcement. Residents can also check trash and recycling pickup schedules. The Detroit Recycling Center processes materials collected from Detroit and the surrounding southeast Michigan communities. At 63,000 square feet, this facility has plenty of room to manage its “150 tons of recyclables per day for commercial businesses and residential households in southeast Michigan”.
Farmington Hills: Farmington Hills is a member community of the Recycling Authority. From the website: “The Resource Recovery and Recycling Authority of Southwest Oakland County (RRRASOC) is an intergovernmental, municipal solid waste authority created in 1989 by the member communities of Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, South Lyon, Southfield, Walled Lake, and Wixom. Our purpose is establishing and operating solid waste management projects that feature intergovernmental cooperation, economies of scale, and a combination of environmental responsibility and fiscal soundness”. The Recycling Authority offers curbside pickup and drop off services for a number of different recyclables. Recyclables are processed in the Material Recovery Facility, which can process “up to 300 tons of recyclable material per day from residential curbside recycling programs, commercial and industrial businesses, and items collected from the two recycling drop-offs.”
Royal Oak: A member community of SOCRRA, a regional recycling and waste organization that handles materials collected at curbside and drop-off, Verde Lifestyles’ home town of Royal Oak provides services for recycling/disposing of solid wastes, building materials, household items, paper, plastic, aluminum, glass, and other recyclable and reusable materials. Residents can also drop off brush, yard waste, old Christmas trees, lead acid batteries, and electronic waste at the designated SOCRRA drop-off center. How do these programs measure up to your town or city’s? Have an old cell phone (or three) that you don’t need and don’t know what to do with? Here are some safe, environmentally friendly ways to put your old phone to good use and keep it out of a landfill: -Donate it. Mail your old phone to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This organization uses the proceeds from selling refurbished cell phones to fund its programs, which include providing cell phones to victims of abuse so that they can call 911 in emergencies. If you mail your phone to Greenphone (the shipping is free, they provide a shipping label), they will repurpose it, or, if they must recycle it, will plant one tree for every phone recycled. Cell Phones For Soldiers sells the phones you donate to Recellular and uses the money to buy calling cards for soldiers overseas. Check in with Call2Recycle to see what programs they offer for you—and your workplace—to keep old batteries and cell phones out of landfills. -Recycle/Repurpose it through the manufacturer or service provider. Most service providers and phone manufacturers how have programs for recycling and/or refurbishing and selling old cell phones. Check with your carrier or the company that made your phone to see what they can do for you. Some are teamed up with charities and nonprofit organizations. -Sell it. If your phone is still functional, sell it to someone who can put it to use. The benefits here are obvious—your gets reused, you get paid, and if you sell it locally you probably won’t have to worry about shipping materials or costs.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, E-waste is increasing at a rate higher than any other category of municipal waste. Greenversations, the EPA’s official blog, states that the average cell phone is used for only about 1.5 years before it’s replaced. With companies competing to produce smarter, sleeker, more versatile cell phones and cell phone upgrades offered every couple of years upon contract renewal, many of us find ourselves replacing our phones more and more frequently. Add to this the fact that cell phones themselves are often not built to last longer than two years, and it’s no wonder that e-waste is on the rise. A startling statistic from Greenversations: “150 million cell phones are taken out of service each year, if Americans recycled just 2/3 of those cell phones, we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 630,667 tons of CO2 and save enough energy to power more than 194,000 U.S. homes for a year.” |
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